On Sunday, August 29th, Steve presented an excellent lesson on knowing right from wrong.
In the lesson, he incorporated five tests to help us determine if what we are doing, or neglecting to do, is right or wrong. When Steve arrived at his fourth point, the “presence test,” he asked if we would perform the acts in question if the Lord was standing next to us. He then proposed the question, “What would you do if I could tell you with certainty that the Lord is going to return at 6:45 this Sunday?”
The question Steve presented was regarding our Sunday night attendance. Wouldn’t we want to be found gathered with the saints at the appointed time if the Lord happened to return at that time? I sure would. Yet, what would we do if we knew Jesus was going to return at 6:45 this Sunday evening? We would certainly be here early, probably way before 6:00, but what would we do with the few hours before?
When Steve posed this question, I began to think what I would do. I thought I would hurry to a neighbor who does not believe in Christ and is therefore lost, telling him that Jesus was coming. I would tell all I could in hopes that we could have lines forming for those to put on Christ before it was too late. I then thought, “Why don’t I do this now?” The scriptures tell us, For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night (I Thessalonians 5:2). We can and should tell our friends who are lost that the Lord is going to return. We just don’t know if it will be at 6:45 on a Sunday evening. For all we know, it could be within the hour.
For the elders, Tony Williams